Invisible

I don't sleep at all that night until I knock myself out with sleeping pills. I keep seeing Corrie falling off the bridge, the way she said she stopped listening to God, how completely on the defensive she was.

I get to school thirty minutes earlier and set up camp outside Ms. Glen's room, waiting anxiously. Oh please let Corrie actually have kept her promise. I'm in complete terror, honestly, and I can't fathom why I care so much about her well fare. Maybe pulling someone from their ultimate death creates a bond that can never be broken.

"Hey, there you are Aaron!"

I jump so hard I drop my bag, but its just Jake. He's more or less skipping down the hallway, clutching a Mountain Dew, and I wonder which one that is. Fifht, or sixth.

"Man, where'd you go yesterday? After second block you just vanished!" He says, his voice three levels louder than normal and only one away from getting yelled at by the scandalized-looking teachers. The students in the hallway all stare interestedly. Aaron Maccero and Jake Dillingle drama. He slides to a stop next to me. Jake really does not do well with caffeine.

"I was sick," I say quietly.

"Liar. Did you ditch 'cuz Kaylee broke up with you?" He yells.

"Shit, man, shut up!" I hiss. I hadn't even thought about her since I picked up Corrie. I yank the Mountain Dew away from him. "How many of these have you had?"

"Like, five. Give it back, I paid for that!"

In revenge, I say loudly. "I will not! Remember what happened the last time you had this much this early? Ms. Glen sent you to the office and you puked ont the principle's daughter!"

That sobers him up as giggles erupt around them. "Not so loud," he mutters.

"Then stop screaming about Kaylee braking up with me. Yes, I ditched. How did you know she broke up with me?"

"She had her tongue down some other guy's throat."

That stung, but instant relief came as I saw Corrie hurrying down the hallway, just as the first bell rang. when dry, her hair hung in loose curls, was a dark brown, and super long. I couldn't see her face, but she walked like someone who really wished she was invisible, trying to make herself smaller than she really was. She only had to be what, five feet tall? And did she really not see me?

"Hey, Corrie!" I say jovially when she gets nearer. She stops and looks up through her bangs. Without a word she hands me my jacket and enters the classroom. A little put out, I follow her in and ignore Jake.

She takes her seat, probably hoping if she ignores me long enough I'll go away. "I think a good morning, is in order."

"Who said it was a good morning?" She snipes back.

I wilt on the inside, but then again, what did I think? She'd be a ray of sunshine after one day?

"I do!" I say. "Want to go somewhere with me, after school today?" That last part came out of nowhere, but happy I said it, I smile expectantly down at her.

"You do't have to take responsiblity for me, Aaron. I'm fine. Thank you, for everything, but I'm fine."

"I want to. Please say yes?"

"No."

I'm forced to retreat as the tardy bell rings, a little put-out. Has anyone ever said no to a date with me? No. Did I really just ak corrie on a date?

All throughout class my eyes stray to the back of her head. she takes dedicated notes, but her entire posture says tired. I wonder if she slept at all last night either. Had she been thinking of me?

Towards the end of class, Jake hits me with a pencil. I turn to look at him. He's smirking, and he nodds in Corrie's direction, then makes a heart shape with his hand. I flip him off.

"Now, class, were starting a project that will be due on the first Monday of November. How long does that give you?"

Everyone does silent math, then half the class intones, "two weeks."

"Thats right, a little more than two weeks.We'll be in groups of three." Oh please, please, please for once in your life let us choose. "Which I'll be putting you into." Damn. Hag.

Ms. Glen had this method of choosing partners and groups, which was having eveyrones names on crumpled slips of paper, in a bowl, that she would fish out. then she wrote the names on the whiteboard, because she hated the SmartBoards.

"Mark, Alexis, and Sarah." Is the first group. Poor Mark, Alexis is a complete nerd and Sarah has headgear. He makes a face across the aisle to Jake and me. We both look back sympathetically.

Please, please, please, please, give me Corrie.

"Nick, Derek, Lisa."

Corrie's the type of girl whose to shy for groups. At least give her to me.

"Chelsea, Tess, Ann."

I'll even suffer through Ben as our third. Give me Corrie.

"Corrine," I snap to attention. Corrine had to be Corrie' judging by the way she tensed. "Jacob." Stupid son of a- "And Aaron."

I grin as hard as Jake, but he thinks its because were together. He's just a plus. Mark gives us a jealous look. Ms. Glen is scowling, obviously unhappy Jake and I got paired together.

Corrie turns around to look at me and I smile, giving her a thumbs up. Wait, is she crying? My smile vanishes, but she turns her head before I can tell.

When Ms. Glen fineshes listing off groups, she says, "Now, for the project you will be writing a play that is atleast five minutes long and depicts being lost. Meet up with your group for the remainder of class and discuss topics."

Corrie's hand shoots into the air. "Can I go to the nurse?" Her voice shakes a little.

"No," says Ms. Glen in her old-hag voice. Bitch.

Jake and I tak our stuff to the front of the room and drag two desks around so they're facing Corrie.

"So now you're stuck with me, whether you like it or not," I say.

"How do you two know each other?" Jake asked, still on his caffeine buzz. He was going to crash hard.

There's a pause as I lwonder what either of us is going to say. "I ran into her in the hallway yesterday, and dumped coffee all down her shirt. It's why she wont look at me, and why she had my jacket."

"Okay," says Jake. "I should use that on the next girl I want to get out of her shirt."

I hit Jake hard on the arm, embarressed for bothof us. "What the hell is wrong with you?! I didn't- you dumbass-it's not like that!"

Corrie sighed through her nose. "I'm not one of your whores."

"Corrie, he's an ass, please-" I say, but she cuts me off.

"Leave the hell alone." the bell rings and she more or less runs.

"Thanks, Jake, really," I snarl.

"I was just kidding!" Jake says defensively.

At lunch Aaron was still so mad at Jake he looked around the cafeteria for any other table to sit at then his normal one, and thats when I saw Corrie ducking outside. Thanking my lucky stars, I follow her.

She's reading with her back propped against the wall, but she stops and looks up when I come out.

"Jake was just kidding," I say, sitting beside her. she scootches a little ways away.

"I come out here to be alone."

"I didn't know you had my lunch, but then again, you aren't really eating, are you?" Is she anorexic?

"You aren't going to get in my pants, so you can stop."

"Corrie, I don't want to. Like I said, Jake was just kidding. I'm still a virgin."

She snorts disbelievingly.

"I'm serious, and so is he." I can hear the desperation in my voice and wonder what on earth has gotten into me.

"Okay. will you leave now?"

"Why were you crying in English?"

"I wasn't."

"Be like that. Now, as for our project, there's not football practice after school today, so maybe we could start?"

"Whatever."

"Good. Jake doesn't have a car, but his place is biggest, so I'll drive the three of us there?"

"Sure."

"Do you need to call your parents or anything?"

She shakes her head no.

"Aren't you hungry?"

She shakes her head again and I decide to stop pressing her. "Don't sneak off again," I say standing up. "We need to work on thi project." I open the door and go back inside, feeling better.

I set off to find Jake, and squeaze between him and Mark on the bench. "I'm driving you and Corrie to your house to work on the project after school today. That cool?"

"It's fine," Jake grumbled. "Who is she, anyway?"

"I wish I knew," I say, causing Jake to stare at me.